Facebook is still popular. Facebook has almost over three billion active users and continues to grow. Even though Facebook has been around for over a decade, it is still one of the most popular social media platforms today. Why is this? There are many reasons, but we will discuss the five most important ones here.
Why is Facebook still popular?
Some like Facebook, and some hate it. Facebook has been involved in a lot of scandals lately, such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal. However, Facebook is still popular for these five reasons:
1. Up to date
The first reason Facebook is still popular is that Meta keeps up with the latest trends and technologies. Facebook was one of the first social media platforms to introduce live-streaming, virtual reality, and augmented reality features. This allows users to stay connected with friends and family in new and innovative ways.
2. User-friendly UI
Another reason Facebook remains popular is its user-friendly interface. Facebook is constantly updating its design to make it more user-friendly and intuitive. This makes it easy for even first-time users to navigate the site and find what they’re looking for.
3. Features that people use
Third, Facebook has a large selection of features that appeal to different users. For example, Facebook now has a “Marketplace” where users can buy and sell items. This is a great feature for those who want to declutter their homes or make some extra money.
4. Friends and family rather than work
Fourth, Facebook is great for staying in touch with friends and family who live far away. With Facebook’s “Messenger” app, users can easily send text messages, photos, and even video chat with loved ones who are far away. When compared to other messaging apps, Facebook Messenger is one of the most user-friendly and feature-rich.
Facebook is where people go to hear news from their contacts that don’t relate to their profession. Families are growing apart, and people are more familiar with digital tools nowadays and can easily stay in touch with what’s going on even though they might not be living nearby.
5. It’s free
Finally, Facebook is still popular because it is free to use. While there are premium features that users can pay for, such as ad-free browsing and extra storage space, the vast majority of Facebook’s features can be used without spending a dime. This makes Facebook accessible to everyone, no matter their budget. Of course, Facebook is highly profitable through various channels. It’s not clear how exactly personal data might be used nowadays, but it’s clear that ads are still a major driver for the Meta revenue.
Some more questions we encountered about Facebook
During the research, we encountered some common questions that people wondered about when it comes to Facebook. Here are some of the most popular ones, along with some answers.
Where is Facebook popular?
Facebook is popular all over the world. In fact, Facebook is the most popular social media platform in almost every country. The only exceptions are China and Russia, where Facebook is banned. However, even in these countries, there are still many people who use Facebook through VPNs and other workarounds.
Why is Facebook more popular than other social networks?
It simply appeals to many. Facebook has attracted a wide range of users, from young to old, and from all walks of life. Facebook is also more than just a social media platform; it’s become a part of our everyday lives. We use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, to catch up on the latest news, and even to buy and sell items. In many ways, Facebook has become an essential part of our lives.
Why does the content on Facebook bother so many people?
There are some algorithms in place to control what kind of content and posts are shown to whom on Facebook and on other social media tools too. It takes some work to understand how this works, but at the end of the day, everybody can control what they are presented with on their timeline on Facebook. If you don’t like something, tell Facebook.
If someone keeps posting things you don’t like, tell Facebook to no longer show posts from this person. It doesn’t happen on its own, but you are in control of the content and if you are upset with the timeline, invest some time to improve it. You don’t need to accept something that you don’t like because Facebook also wants you to stay on the page as long as possible and feel as positive as possible about it.
Is Facebook still popular?
Believe it or not but Facebook is more popular than ever before. Even though some people are trying to #DeleteFacebook, the platform still has billions of monthly active users. In fact, Facebook’s user base continues to grow, especially in developing countries.
Is Facebook now called Meta?
No, Facebook stays Facebook. Meta is simply the new name of the company that provides Facebook. Just like how Google is owned by Alphabet, Facebook is owned by Meta. The company was not sold to a new organization either. The parent company simply received a new brand. Facebook is still Facebook, and it will likely stay that way for many years to come.
Is the new Facebook called Metaverse?
What the Metaverse is and what it is not is yet to be seen. It’s merely a thought of a concept of what the Internet could look like in the future. The Metaverse has absolutely nothing to do with Meta or Facebook. It might be that Meta and Facebook will try to offer a Metaverse experience, but this remains to be seen. The name is merely a coincidence.
Does Facebook offer NFT gaming?
No, as of now, there are no NFT elements or NFT gaming on Facebook. Perhaps Meta might introduce something that runs with crypto coins or other cryptocurrencies in the Metaverse, but as of now, there are no such things in production. The same goes for online casino or other gambling-related content. They have things like Poker, but nothing that lets people lose or win real money.
Why is Facebook more popular than other social media?
The question is difficult to answer. More people use social media on the Internet in general. More people use laptops and smartphones. The general number of users has increased, and to understand why Facebook is still so popular, we have to assess the demographic user groups as well. When checking statistics and reports, we can often see that the majority of Facebook users are considered Boomers, while Instagram is heavily used by Millenials.
Twitter is apparently for “educated and wealthy” users, to quote Kristen McCormick and her report. In the same report, they also share that LinkedIn is for professionals, TikTok is largely used by female users, and Snapchat is used by teens. Since the group that could be considered Boomers is one of the largest there is, it makes sense to see Facebook still being on top of the growth charts even in 2022.
Is Facebook going to be popular again?
It never ceased to be popular. Their number of monthly active users has been growing since they started their business back in 2004, at that time with the name [thefacebook]. They have faced some difficult times, sure, but they’ve always come back stronger. So, to answer your question: yes, Facebook is going to be popular again – and it already is.
What is currently the biggest social media platform?
Next to Facebook as the biggest social media platform are localized versions with similar features, such as VK in Russia and Sina Weibo in China. Other popular social media platforms are more focused on something in particular. For instance, LinkedIn is leading for professional networking, Instagram for photo sharing, YouTube and TikTok are leading video platforms, and Twitter is one of the leaders in microblogging.
What is the next big social media platform in 2022?
While Clubhouse was trending for a brief moment in 2021, this year, there has not yet been any disruptive new social media app. You could have a look at new social media apps like Supernova, Locket, Sunroom, and PearPop, but they are yet to reach a disruptive momentum and might never do. If something relating to the Metaverse or NFTs popped up, it would be likely to receive a lot of attention, but how well it could retain the user base would yet be to be seen.
Did Microsoft sell Mixer to Facebook Gaming?
No, Microsoft did not sell the game streaming service Mixer (formerly Beam) to Facebook Gaming. They simply shut it down and recommended the streamers to migrate to Facebook. Microsoft did not mention to them to consider YouTube Gaming or Amazon’s Twitch. It’s possible that the contract with Facebook had a non-compete clause which would’ve prevented Microsoft from promoting any other game streaming services.
Is Facebook dying?
No, it is still growing as of now, but since the primary user group consists of Boomers as far as demographics go, they might lose momentum and see a decline in monthly active users if they don’t manage to attach a younger user base in the coming years. This is, however, speculation, and only time will tell.
The platform has been around for over a decade now, and it is doubtful that it will simply disappear in the near future. Nevertheless, if new social media platforms manage to attract younger generations away from Facebook, the platform could see a significant decline in users.
Why is Facebook toxic?
The platform has been known to be a breeding ground for echo chambers, filter bubbles, and fake news. Facebook has also been criticized for being addictive and harmful to mental health due to the way it is designed. Another big concern is data privacy since Facebook has been known to sell user data or use it for targeted advertising. As mentioned above, users are in control of what they see, but if they don’t actively manage their preferences, they might find themself in toxic realms without even realizing it.
Do you think that Facebook will still be popular in 2025?
This is hard to say. If they don’t manage to keep up with the trends and younger generations move away from the platform, it is possible that we will see a significant decline in users. However, Facebook has been around for over a decade now, and it has shown great resilience so far. Only time will tell. Perhaps a change of values and strategy could help to make Facebook popular again. For instance, if the platform would focus more on quality over the number of users, or if it would give users more control over their data privacy, this could help to improve its image.
Who invented Facebook and why?
Facebook was invented by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004. The original purpose of the platform was to connect people on college campuses. However, it quickly grew beyond that and became one of the biggest social media platforms with over two billion monthly active users. There are various reasons why Facebook has been so successful. For instance, the platform is easy to use, and it offers a wide range of features such as newsfeed, groups, events, and pages.
In addition, Facebook has been very good at acquiring other popular social media platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp. This has helped them to expand their user base even further. Another big reason for their success is that they have been very good at leveraging data. For example, they use data for targeted advertising which is a big revenue stream for the company. However, this has also led to criticisms as some people are not comfortable with the idea of Facebook having so much information about them. Nevertheless, it seems that for now, Facebook is here to stay. Only time will tell if they will be able to keep up their momentum or if they will eventually decline. Only time will tell.
Was Facebook the first social network?
No, Facebook was not the first social network. MySpace was launched in August 2003, and it was very popular at the time. However, Facebook quickly surpassed MySpace in terms of users and became the leading social media platform. There are various reasons for this. For instance, as mentioned before, Facebook was very good at acquiring other popular platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp. One of the first social media platforms I used was DeviantArt which launched in 2000 and had a focus on media and art. Even though I was not a user at the time, one of the earliest social media networks was SixDegrees which operated from 1997 to 2000 and was focused on professional networking.
Conclusion
Whether you like Facebook or not, it is hard to deny that the platform has had a big impact on the world. It has connected billions of people and changed the way we communicate. Although it has faced several challenges in recent years, it is still one of the most popular social media platforms. Only time will tell if Facebook will still be around in 2025 or if we will see a decline in users.
The reasons above are just a few of why Facebook is still popular today. With its ever-growing user base and constantly updated features, it’s easy to see why Facebook remains one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It might no longer be growing as steep as some years ago, but it never stopped growing. It has more active users than ever. The platform is also very good at adapting to changes, as we’ve seen with the introduction of live streaming, Stories, and other features. So it’s safe to say that Facebook will be around for a while but only if it keeps innovating and adapting.
YouTube: The Evolution of Facebook from 2004 – 2020
Photo credit: The screenshots (1, 2) have been done by Kaspars Grinvalds. The photo showing a female user in front of a laptop was taken by Diego Cervo. The infographics and statistics have been prepared by Statista.
